My younger brother Lü Fengxian

Chapter 350: Entering the court without bowing, praising without naming, entering the palace with sword and shoes
"Sun Jian is a man of extraordinary courage and has made great contributions in the conquest of Yuan Shu. He should be promoted to General Breaking the Enemy, Governor of Liang Province, and Marquis of Wucheng!"

……

After a long time, Lu Yi first recited the achievements of his civil and military officials, and then recited the achievements of Gongsun Zan, Sun Jian and others.

He asked Liu Bian to reward hundreds of people in one breath.

These people were either Lu Yi's retainers or foreign troops like Gongsun Zan and Sun Jian who had secretly defected to Lu Yi.

They are all from the Lu Yi lineage.

Although Liu Bian was cowardly, he was not stupid. How could he not see that this was Lu Yi's attempt to sabotage the court again?

The last time the dukes and ministers of Luoyang were enfeoffed, all those from Lu Yi were chosen.

Today, all the governors and prefects of provinces and counties throughout the country are still Lu Yi's men.

In this way, Lu Yi, who already has great power in Luoyang, will basically continue to have great power in the court in the future.

The whole world only knows about Jin Hou Lu Yi, but not the emperor Liu Bian.

However, Liu Bian knew it in his heart.

But the situation is stronger than the people.

Last night, nursery rhymes and prophecies suddenly spread throughout the streets of Luoyang.

Directly pointing to Lu Yi's various achievements and contributions.

Finally, at the end of the nursery rhyme and prophecy, it was added that Lu Yi was rewarded because it was God's will, and if he went against God's will, he would be punished by God.

Nursery rhymes and the like often appear in the streets of Luoyang.

But the news reached the palace in just one night, so its efficiency was terrifyingly high.

Before Liu Bian could understand the situation clearly, his mother, Empress Dowager He, summoned Liu Bian overnight.

I don’t know what the mother and son said.

After Liu Bian left Empress Dowager He's bedroom, he looked depressed with tears in his eyes.

Now, Liu Bian got advice from his mother and knew that now that he had no support, he must not go against Lu Yi.

Therefore, although he was unwilling, he could only hold his nose and obediently agree to the reward that Lu Yi requested for his civil and military officials.

"The general has worked hard and made great contributions, and his civil and military officials are also loyal subjects of our Han Dynasty. All the general's requests will be granted!"

"I thank you, Your Majesty!"

After another round of singing of congratulations, the climax of the court meeting finally began.

Tian Feng, Chen Gong, Cao Cao, Ju Shou, Jia Xu, Li Ru and other civil officials as well as Lu Bu, Gao Shun, Gongsun Zan, Sun Jian and other frontier officials and military officers came out together and continued to make reports to the Emperor Liu Bian.

"General Lu Yi has made outstanding contributions and is a model of a minister."

"Your Majesty, please confer upon me the title of Grand General and Prime Minister, and command the military and political affairs of the world!"

Tian Feng was the first to step forward.

"The Marquis of Jin has stabilized the court and suppressed the rebels. He should be promoted to a higher rank to show the emperor's great favor."

"Please ask the emperor to confer the title of Duke of Jin on the Marquis of Jin!"

Afterwards, Lu Bu also immediately stepped forward and made a request.

Afterwards, the ministers agreed and all officials seconded the motion.

The mascot Liu Bian could not disobey Lu Yi, nor could he disobey the civil and military officials who had become powerful officials under Lu Yi's command.

"You are right, the Duke of Jin has made outstanding contributions and deserves to be rewarded."

Liu Bian nodded helplessly.

Zhang Rang, who had been preparing for a long time, immediately stepped forward, picked up the imperial edict that he had prepared in advance and read it out in the hall.

"The Duke of Jin has made contributions to the country, to me, and to the country."

"Without rewards, there is no way to calm the turmoil in the world."

"I will be specially appointed Prime Minister and promoted to Duke of Jin, in charge of the military and political affairs of the world, and my position is above that of other princes."

As soon as the imperial edict came out, everyone in the hall, except Liu Bian, was filled with joy.

They were either Lu Yi's old subordinates or his recent followers.

His life and property have long been entrusted to Lu Yi.

Only if Lu Yi is promoted can they be promoted.

Only when Lu Yi becomes noble can they achieve success and bring prosperity to their family members.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

All of a sudden, everyone started praising Liu Bian.

However, Lu Yi calmly stepped forward and refused.

"I am now a great general, governor of Bingzhou, and Marquis of Jin, the highest position in the country."

"My wish is enough. Please revoke your order!"

Lu Yi's refusal did not come as a surprise to everyone.

Stand properly and sit properly.

There is a way to eat, too.

The process of etiquette and law was meant to be rejected, which could show that Lu Yi was not seeking high office or wealth.

If he had just acted like Dong Zhuo, without caring about his eating manners and doing things in a reckless manner.

It will only make you infamous and live in disgrace forever.

On the contrary, if the process of etiquette and law had been followed, even Cao Pi would have forced Emperor Xian to abdicate.

However, in the eyes of historians of later generations, it was already considered the orthodox successor to the Mandate of Heaven.

Therefore, Lu Yi would never accept a letter just because it came in handy.

At least give in once.

After Lu Yi declined, he did not give Liu Bian a chance to speak, and immediately took his leave and returned safely to the General's Mansion.

However, Lu Yi could take his leave, which made Liu Bian feel a little worried.

You, Lu Yi, don't want the position of Prime Minister and Duke of Jin, but do you want to take my position as Emperor?

Not to mention Liu Bian’s fear tonight.

However, the people in Luoyang City knew the story of Lu Yi's refusal of the reward at Lu Yi's special instruction.

They all began to praise Lu Yi.

For the people of Luoyang, Lu Yi not only exempted them from taxes and labor service for one year, but also gave them more rewards.

Now he has even repelled the bandits from Guandong, which means he has made great contributions and is known for his benevolence and righteousness.

Such a person actually refuses the emperor's reward now. He is simply like Zhou Gong in the world.

Then, at the instruction of Lu Yi, the people came to the outside of the imperial city of Luoyang and knelt before the emperor Liu Bian to beg him to continue to reward Lu Yi.

At this time, the curfew that had been in effect suddenly became invalid.

The officials and generals who maintained order in Luoyang suddenly became blind and deaf, and ignored the "people" who openly defied the curfew and caused trouble in front of the imperial city.

These people were obviously extremely grateful to Lu Yi.

The cries for Emperor Liu Bian lasted all night and even reached the harem.

Liu Bian was already frightened, and when he heard the noisy noise outside the palace, he thought it was another attack on the palace by the ministers. He was so scared that he couldn't sleep all night. He and the beautiful Empress Dowager He, who was as beautiful as a flower and still had her charm, hugged each other and cried all night.

Fortunately, the next day Liu Bian learned that there were no rebels outside the palace, but just some people petitioning.

After this incident, Liu Bian realized that if he did not continue to reward Lu Yi, then these people might become rebels again and attack the imperial palace.

So, early the next morning.

Liu Bian immediately summoned General Lu Yi to the court. "General, your appointment is what everyone wants. Even if you don't want to do this for my sake, you should at least be considerate of the people who are still kneeling outside the palace!"

After Lu Yi entered the palace, Liu Bian kept trying to persuade her.

After Liu Bian, all the civil and military officials also pressed him hard.

Seeing that the time was right, Lu Yi went with the flow and respectfully accepted the title, becoming the first prime minister in the Eastern Han Dynasty. He was also the first person of a different surname to be granted the title of duke.

After Lu Yi accepted Liu Bian's reward, Liu Bian breathed a sigh of relief and finally slept soundly.

Let’s not mention Liu Bian who was relieved.

After Lu Yi was granted the title, he immediately appointed his wife Zhang Wan'er as Madam and all the other concubines as Concubines.

He made his eldest son, Lü Tong, a prince, and his second son, Lü Rong, the Marquis of Beidi.

Afterwards, Lu Yi established a government in Luoyang to govern the country.

As prime minister, he began to officially exercise the power of the court.

From then on, all political and military affairs of the world were handled by Lu Yi alone.

The emperor Liu Bian ruled the country from the depths of the Luoyang Palace, and was regarded by the world as a model for the relationship between a monarch and his subjects.

In the first month of the following year, Lü Yi reported to the emperor that he had defeated the bandits in Guandong and changed the name of the year to Chuping. The emperor approved the report.

January, the first year of Chuping.

Lü Yi appointed Lü Bu, the governor of Jizhou, as the general and led 30,000 troops to march towards Jizhou.

Gao Shun, the governor of Qingzhou, was the first general to lead an army of 20,000 to march towards Qingzhou.

In February, Lu Bu entered Jizhou and received enthusiastic response from the powerful families represented by the Zhen family. Jizhou powerful families such as Shen Pei, Xin Ping, Xin Pi and others led their entire clans to surrender. Lu Bu recovered the entire Jizhou without bloodshed in half a month.

In March, Gao Shun entered Qingzhou. The people of Qingzhou welcomed the arrival of the royal army and rewarded the army with food and drink. Within 20 days, the whole of Qingzhou surrendered.

At this point, the entire Hebei province fell into Lu Yi's hands.

In April, the emperor granted Lu Yi the honor of entering the court without having to bow in recognition of his achievement in recovering two states. Lu Yi declined the offer once before finally accepting it.

In May, Lü Yi led his troops into Yanzhou under the command of Yanzhou Governor Cao Cao. That month, Yanzhou was pacified, and Xu Chu, a powerful general from Yanzhou, led his clan to surrender.

In June, Lü Yi led the army into Xuzhou under the command of Guan Yu, the governor of Xuzhou, and Zhang Fei, the governor of Yuzhou, led his army into Yuzhou.

In July, Xuzhou and Yuzhou were successively pacified. Lu Yi issued a special decree to move Zhuge Gui, the magistrate of Taishan County, and lead dozens of his clansmen to the capital to serve as Shaofu, ranking among the Nine Ministers.

At this point, the Central Plains and Shandong were all under the control of Lu Yi.

In August, the emperor bestowed upon Lü Yi the special honor of praising and worshipping him for his contribution in recovering the three states of Yan, Xu and Yu. Lü Yi declined the honor once before accepting it.

In September, Lü Yi appointed Zhang Liao as the governor of Yangzhou and led his troops into Wu, appointed Zhao Yun as the governor of Jingzhou and led his troops into Jing, and appointed Zhang He as the governor of Jiaozhou and led his troops into Jiaozhou.

In October, Zhang Liao entered Wu, and the four surnames of Gu, Lu, Zhu and Zhang in Wu surrendered to the court with the seals of counties.

In November, Zhao Yun entered Jingzhou. The big families of Jingzhou, Cai, Kuai and Huang, led their troops to respond to the heavenly army. Among them, Cai Mao, the head of the Cai family, offered his younger sister Cai to the Duke of Jin, and Lu Yi took her in.

In December, Zhang He entered Jiaozhou, and the Jiaozhou noble Shi Xie led the Han people and local people in Jiaozhou to surrender wholeheartedly, and Jiaozhou was pacified.

At this point, all of the Han territory, except for Shuzhong, a remote corner where the roads remained unchanged, belonged to the imperial court.

The originally divided world was broken up by Lu Yi's strong intervention.

The world, which was just about to begin to move towards a trend of competition among heroes, was forcibly unified again by Lu Yi alone.

At this point, Lu Yi's personal prestige once again reached its peak.

At the end of December, the emperor issued an edict that Lü Yi's contributions were unparalleled in ancient and modern times and he must be rewarded. He specially granted Lü Yi the honor of presenting a sword and shoes to the palace. Lü Yi declined once before accepting the honor.

He did not have to walk straight when entering the court, did not have to name his name when praising or bowing, and only wore a sword and shoes when entering the palace.

After a year of conquests, Lu Yi had unknowingly assembled the three elements of a powerful official.

Thus he reached the undisputed pinnacle of power.

As Lu Yi made careful moves, time passed quickly and it was the second year of Chuping.

In the first month of the year, during the grand court meeting.

Lu Yizuo asked the emperor to reward the generals and military officials who had made meritorious contributions in the expedition, as well as the local nobles and powerful people who voluntarily surrendered.

The emperor approved all the requests one by one, and more than fifty people were conferred the title of marquis on that day, which was rare in the history of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Lu Yi is now busy exchanging the property deeds of the Han Dynasty and has no plans to take action against the wealthy families in the various states and counties for the time being.

Therefore, while Lu Yi was sending troops to fight on one hand, he was also quietly reaching private deals with the wealthy and powerful families in various states and counties in secret.

Therefore, on the surface, it seemed as if it was the will of heaven. As soon as the heavenly army sent by Lu Yi arrived, the local tyrants and powerful families immediately surrendered.

After the wealthy and powerful people cooperated with Lu Yi to complete this grand show, Lu Yi must have given them some benefits.

However, because of Lu Yi's strength now.

Lu Yi tried his best to strip them of their original power, and while placing restrictions on them, he only left them with some leftovers.

The world's destiny now depends on Lu Yi. If these powerful families fail to see the situation clearly and insist on trying to stop a chariot, then the only fate that awaits them is to be crushed into slag by Lu Yi's giant chariot of a thousand jin.

These powerful families that have existed in the local area for hundreds of years are the ones who are most likely to wait and see and make bets.

Now that they saw that Lu Yi was so powerful, they didn't even have time to surrender, so how could they dare to resist?
It was Lu Yi's established policy to crack down on local powerful families who could compete with the central government.

Lu Yi already had a backup plan for these people. As long as they behaved themselves during this critical period of their lives, Lu Yi wouldn't mind giving them a few years to taste the sweetness.

Remember, boiling a frog in warm water is the most deadly.

After appeasing and rewarding the nobles who had attacked the city and surrendered.

The only remaining Western Shu on the Han Dynasty's territory is a bit conspicuous.

The obsession with great unification has been deeply rooted in the blood of the Chinese nation since Qin Shihuang.

Lü Yi had already taken control of twelve of the thirteen states in the world, and the slogan of sending troops to Yizhou and conquering Western Shu had become very popular.

However, Lu Yi was not in a hurry to attack Yizhou.

Firstly, Liu Yan is an old friend of mine, so I can’t be too unkind to him.

Moreover, Yizhou is located in a remote area, with the natural barrier of Western Shu within and Zhang Lu, the watchdog, stationed in Hanzhong outside.

A rash attack would only lead to a long expedition, wasting manpower and money. Liu Yan and Lu Yi had a more convenient backup plan.

Secondly, now that Lü Yi has recovered the world, the Duke of Jin is no longer able to match his contribution.

in other words.

Lu Yi wants to make progress!
However, the title of Duke is already the highest reward for a subject.

In the past, after Emperor Gaozu killed the snake and started an uprising, he became the richest man in the world.

When Emperor Gaozu was dying, he and his ministers killed a white horse and swore an oath that only those with the surname Liu could be crowned king!
Although between the Han Dynasty there was an old senior named Wang Mang who was unwilling to accept the situation and stepped forward.

But he was soon sent to the underworld by a meteorite falling from the sky by the great mage Liu Xiu.

To this day, the old man's skull is still one of the most precious collections of the royal family.

It is said that drinking it will improve the quality of the wine.

Lu Yi had no interest in drinking with the skull.

However, I do have a deep understanding of the deeds of our predecessors.

He now wants to be crowned king, which can be regarded as naked rebellion.

However, Emperor Gaozu said that only those with the surname Liu could be crowned king.

Lu Yi’s identity is actually the surviving son of the late emperor Liu Zhi.

Not only is he a legitimate descendant of the Liu family, but he also has a very high priority in inheriting the throne.

After all, Liu Hong's throne was inherited from Liu Zhi.

Therefore, Lu Yi was very confident in his plan to become king.

(End of this chapter)